Vacuum-box.



C. L. ORSBORN.

VACUUM BOX. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1911.

Inventor' Ato rneys C. L. ORSB-RN.

VACUUM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1911A Patented J an. 28, 15H3.

Z SHEETS-SHEET Atto! mugs "il shut oil' throu h UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN L. ORSBORN, 0F SELMA, ALABAMA.

VACUUM-BOX.

Specieatton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28,

Application led July 17, l1911. Serial No. 638,967.

lused in connection with pneumatic elevators' for seed cotton.

This invention has for its object to provide a vacuum box of this character attached to the trunk and air conduit to elevate the seed cotton by virtue of the air suction and :retain the seed cotton in suspension until the suction through the box is shut ofi', whereupon the seed cotton will drop to the gin or other apparatus below' the vacuum sex.

it is also the object of the present invention to eliminate the possibility of the seed cotton choking to prevent its passage to the gin or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide, a vacuum box of this character which may be used in multiples and when one box becomes filled the remaining seed cotton is carried to the other boxes, and one box not havingany material dependence or ""l effect on any other box, or the remaining boxes. i It is a further object to collect the seed cotton in such a manner that the same shall not be fed to the 'n until the suction is t; corresponding vacuum box, and a so to extend the suction to the exit passages to revent the seed cotton from passing` theret rough unt-il` the suction through the box is shut off.

This invention is embodied in a novel construction arran ement and combination of parts as hereina ter described and as shown in the accompanying drawin in which .similar reference characters in icate similar parte, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the vaciiiim. box-as applied to the air conduit and trunk., Fig. 2is a rear elevation. Fi 3 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal Avertical section. Fig. 5 is a` i such as agwagon or the like, and 20 desig- ,nates the adjoining and parallel air conduit connected with a suction or exhaust pump of suitable character (not shown), said conduits being preferably built together with a separating partition 27. In practice, these conduits are passed over the ins and have series of devices or vacuum boxes, one above each bin, which accumulate the seed cotton which is drawn along the trunk 10 b the suction created in the conduit 20 which is made to communicate with the trunk 10 and thus feeding the seed cotton to the gin. My vacuum box com rises an upstandiiig casing set on the sai conduits 10 and 2u over the openings 24 and 25 therein, iespccf' tivel This casing consists of end walls 26, ront walls 7, rear wall 11, and a top. This casing is secured to the conduits l() and 20 by means of a strip 28 on the ends 26. The front wall 7 has a pair of transparent portions or si lit openings 8 in the upper end thereof. ertical guide strips 22 and l22' are secured to the inner faces of the ends 26 forming -a slot or channel in line with the partition 27. The frame 19 is slid between said guides and hase. screened opcii` ing 23, the screen being of suitable mesh to prevent the passage of seed cotton therethrough but permitting the passage of dust, and other small particles. This frame 19 rests on the partition 27 and against the top 9, and when the casing is removed the frame can be slid out for cleaning, repair or rcplacement. The guides 22', which are located on the rear side of the frame 19, are

cut away lat their lower ends as shown at 30. The chamber formed in front of the frame 19 is the stora e chamber for the seed cotton and the cham er formed in the rear of the frame 19 is the air course chamber.

Inclined guides 17 are secured to the inner-faces of each end 26 in rear of. the traino 19 and forms ide slots therebetween extending from tie bottom of the frame iip- Ward and rearward, andv an inclined pocket 15 is secured to the rear wall 11 in lino willi the uides 17. Braces 14 secure the pocket 15 rigidly with the rear wall 11.

A valve 16 is slidable within the raides 17 and has the lower end thereof beve cd so chamber and being a est vacuum box is the fact that the suction of the air and upon In operation the valve 16 being retracted within the pocket 15 allows the suction to extend into the air course chamber and the seed cotton is drawn up into the storage retarded or arrested by the screen accumu tes vin the storage chamber, the lsuction holdingthe seed cotton in suspension above the trunk 10. As the valve, is slid downward-the saine tits' tightly "be- .i tween the endhwalls vand rear wall of the casing and th'lwet'end'ofthe frame 19 lo close the opehinginto the air chamber from the airconduit vrand, the suction being relieved allo'w's the seed cotton which lhasaccumulatedv in'the storage chamber to drop down through the openin 29 in the bottom et the conduit 10jto be fe to the gin.

rThis vacuumrbox is adapted particularlyf :t'or use in multiples and each or an of af :series of such 'yacuum boxes could be o '-5 erated or `cut` 'off without affecting t ei others, for the reason that the seed cotton: is lifted into and held in suspension in theg `Various boxes which have been opened by? the valve= i6 of any vacuum box being closed the sus-. pended seed cot-ton drops throu h the corresponding opening 29 to be fe to the re-I spective gin. Another feature of the pres| the samei may be removed from the trunk and con-1 `:inits and upon theu per openings in the: conduits being closed t e'action of any otherg` vacuum boxesvis not affected. This permitsl A; the screened frame of the'vacuum box to be removed for the purpose of cleaning or repair, the screen becoming occasionall clogged with small particles of cotton whic i: hamper the passage therethrough. When aj series of these vacuum boxes are arranged; on the trunk andair conduit,'u on one or? more of the boxes becoming fille 4with seed cotton, they remainingseed cotton'is carriedl to the other boxes, and vit' will be noted that! the air suctioii'extending through the passages in the bottom of the trunk would pre-l emrnber'to preventffthesame from chokin vent the seed cottonffrom prematurely drop-g ping .to the' 'gin for other' apparatus. When! the valve 16y fgtheivacuum box is slid i'n- 'e wardly kto'wardfthe'lower yendf'of thev frame 1'9 to shutf, the` suction of air through the vacnumbox it, wille'ca'usa'waft of air'to? pass throng `the lwer."'e nd :of the scree'nr to loosen the'jseed'fctton in the storagef and permittlngsame to readily drop to the gin or'otherlap aratus.'

Thisvformxo 'vacuum'box has', a-largeA capacity' for'the "storage ofseed cotton, and importance is 4placed upon ,the manner 'in which' thevalvcv is'jinserted and 'o erated. The inclined position of thelvalve orme a convcnient'manner' for closingthe opening between the feed vcourse chamber'and the x conduit and also provides for the convenientg' .seed cotton is delivered removal of the valve by a downward movement thereof out of the guide 17.

yThe important feature of the present invention is the fact that the seed cotton is `elevated' and accumulated in the storage chamber above the seed cotton trunk in a. predetermined quantity and is solely retained in suspension by the suction of the air, whereby upon the suction of the air being cut off, the accumulated and suspended seed cotton is delivered through t-he trunk in toto solely by cutting oil the suction.

' Having described my invention what claim as new is 1. In combination with a seed cotton trunk and an adjoining air suction conduit cach having an u per opening therein and the cotton trunk aving a lower opening therein, of a casing set over the openings and having a vertical screen therein formlng an air course chamber and a storage chamber .communicating respectivel with the air conduit and trunk, in or er that the air suction elevates and accumulates the seed cotton in a quantity in the storage chamber and solely retains same in sus ension therein, and a valve for cutting o the communication between the air course chamber and the conduit whereby the accumulated and suspended seed cotton is delivered n toto through the u per and lower openings in 'the trunk, sole y by cutting off the suction.

2. In combination with a seed cotton trunk and an air suction conduit, of a casing having a vertical screen therein forming an air course chamber and a stora e chamber communicating respectively with the air conduit and trunk, in order that the air suction elevates and accumulates the seed cotton in a quantity in the storage chamber and solely retains same in suspension therein, and a valve for cutting off the communication between the air course chamber and the conduit whereby the accumulated and suspended seed cotton is delivered n tota through the trunk solely by cutting ofi the suction.A

v3. In combination with a seed cotton trunk and an air suction conduit, of means whereby the la'ir suction elevates and accumulates the seed' cotton in a uantity above the trunk and solely .retains t e same in suspension, and means for cutting'o the suction of air whereby the accumulated and suspended im, toto solely by cutting off the suction. 4. In combination with a seed cotton trunk and an air suction conduit, of a casing above the trunk havin a storage chamber commu- 'nicating with t course chamber communicating with the conduit and with the storage chamber, whereby the seed cotton is elevated and accumulated in al redetermined uantity in the stoarge cham er and is solely retained ier e trunk and'having an air n Suspvnfeon in the sm'uge Chamber by the suction of the ai?. and n ,nvc fm' ('ungl 01%' the mnuxmncahmx wzwcen the nix' course chamber and the (ronduit whcrcby the accumulated and suspended :wud Cotton is delivered through the trunk n wir) solely by cutting if the suction.

'In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, CALVIN L. ORSBORN.

Witness s:

NELL A. KERP, J A. FULLER. 

